


Share and Share Alike

by Lightshade



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Established Relationship, Gen, M/M, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-05
Updated: 2016-04-19
Packaged: 2018-05-31 09:43:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6465445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lightshade/pseuds/Lightshade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Kylo Ren gets into a relationship with Hux, the rest of the Knights of Ren realize that he's the only one who isn't terrified of them and willing to give them the sort of affection they crave. Cue Hux ending up taking care of the other six Knights as, one-by-one, they end up turning to him for attention.</p>
<p>This is based off a prompt off the TFA Kinkmeme: http://tfa-kink.dreamwidth.org/3961.html?thread=8296569#cmt8296569</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Sniper

Had Hux known where it was all going to lead in the end, he would flat-out told Kylo to get out of his quarters and never come back again. No matter how handsome or good in bed the Knight of Ren was, Hux had thought that it would stay that way. One Knight was more than enough for him to handle.

Kylo was curled up around in him in bed a few months after they had started sleeping together, his arms wrapped around Hux’s waist and his head leaning against his shoulder. Almost off-handed and half-asleep, he mentioned, “By the way, one of the Knights is coming tomorrow.”

Hux roused himself at this piece of information. Snoke hadn’t mentioned it. Not that the old leader would. The Knights seemed to do their own missions and assignments, none of which ever affected how the First Order was run. “Why are they turning up here?”

“Shry’s a bit worn-out from his last mission. He needs somewhere to rest before his next one.”

Hux tried to pay attention, but Kylo had begun rubbing his fingers over Hux’s chest, which left the multitasker hard-pressed to concentrate. All he could was mumble out his agreement. “Mmmm-hmmm.”

Kylo stopped for a moment and looked at Hux, a serious expression in his eyes. “Be nice. The Knights are the closest thing to family I have. Shry’s a bit…different and I don’t want you to drive him off.”

Hux laughed softly. “If he’s different from you, I’ll consider that to be a personal success.” Having two Kylos on the Finalizer would make his blood pressure rise and no mistake. His head sank back down as Kylo continued to rub his chest. Maybe they’d make another round of it before they fell asleep.

 

Shry Ren was definitely not human. That was the first impression Hux got as the Knight stepped off the shuttle. He was carrying a large gun with ease in one hand and wore an overcoat instead of robes. The mask, similar to Kylo’s but different at the same time, gave no indication as to what species he was. Still, there were little signs. His legs bent where the knees would in the opposite direction than most humanoid species and he had elongated ankles joints, which didn’t seem to impede his walking. When Kylo went to greet him, his fellow Knight greeted him in a language that consisted of clicks and chirps. There was a strange rustling sound as he approached Hux, as though the fabric he was wearing was pushing up against something other than skin underneath his coat.

Kylo seemed to be quite pleased to see his fellow Knight. The two had greeted each other with a brisk handshake and Shry clapped a hand onto Kylo’s shoulder, his clicking intensifying as though he was excited. Kylo nodded, seemingly understanding every word. He brought the Knight over to where Hux was standing at parade rest. “General, may I introduce Shry Ren.”

“We’re delighted to have you, Ren, for as long as you wish to grace us with your presence,” Hux said. He didn’t offer a hand to shake and Shry didn’t seem to mind.

Shry stood there for a moment, sizing up the general, before giving a click that seemed to signify his approval. He nodded politely towards Hux and then turned back to Kylo, another series of clicks and chirps issuing forth. Kylo translated. “He says that he hopes to enjoy the hospitality of the Finalizer for a few days.” Kylo paused before adding on. “He also says that he has heard much about you, general, and that he hopes the two of you will get to know each other better.”

One hand shifting the gun around, Shry took his leave of the general. Kylo looked toward Hux. It was hard to read his expressions with his mask on, but Hux could practically see the anxious look beneath it. “What did you think?” It was rather endearing, the idea that Kylo cared about what he thought.

“He is…different,” Hux replied, his voice and expression both carefully neutral. While the First Order remained a purely-human organization, it appeared Snoke held no such reservations at allowing barely-sentient species into the Knights of Ren. Still, it wouldn’t do to let Kylo know he didn’t approve of his fellow Knight.

As the day went along, Hux heard rumors from both officers and Stormtroopers alike. It was said that the first thing Shry had done was head straight for the shooting range. Once there, he’d casually demolished a dozen targets, each one obliterated by his powerful weapon. The Stormtroopers in particular were impressed by his accuracy. As far as mealtimes went, he had made a token appearance in the mess hall. Anyone who was curious as to what he looked like behind the mask was sorely disappointed as he promptly picked out a few choice items to eat and then retreated back to the quarters he’d been given. He appeared to be far more level-headed than Kylo, for he hadn’t strangled or terrorized a single First Order officer. But then, Hux thought a Rancor with a head cold was likely to be more level-headed than Kylo.

He made an appearance on the bridge as the afternoon shift was replaced by those who would take their place in the evening. Hux was, of course, overseeing everything. If he wasn’t around, they would likely bounce the ship right into a supernova or something equally as horrible. It meant that he was forever getting back to his quarters late, but sacrifices had to be made in the name of the First Order. “Keep it steady,” he said, the instructions unnecessary for a crew as well-versed as his own. One of the officers, a young woman named Amberson, gave a cough and nodded to a spot right behind Hux.

He turned around to find Shry standing there. Somehow, the Knight had snuck up on him without as much as a whisper. How long had he even been standing there? The only sign that Hux felt startled was a slight widening of the eyes. “Ah. Shry Ren. How good of you to join us.”

The Knight gave a growl, click, and a nod toward the general. If he knew how to speak Basic, he gave no indication of wishing to do so; instead sticking to the strange, garbled language that only Kylo seemed to understand. Unable to establish a back-and-forth dialogue, Hux was forced to look at the situation more as one of his speeches, where he simply spoke without looking for a reply. “I don’t know what you’ve seen elsewhere, but the Finalizer is run with maximum efficiency. You’ll find it to be very different than any other ship you’ve been on.”

Shry nodded slowly, giving out a series of rapid chittering sounds and gesturing out at the officers at their consoles. Hux could only guess at his meaning. “I take it that you approve, then?”

Shry nodded again, one gloved hand (or was it a paw? Hux still had no idea what his species was) patting him on the shoulder. There was a lot of strength behind that gesture and the general was thankful that it appeared to be a friendly one. What had him more concerned was that Shry apparently had no concept of personal space. He was all but looming, staring at the general behind his mask with an intensity that reminded Hux uncomfortably of the other Knight of Ren currently on his ship. Hux stared at where he roughly thought the other’s eyes were, trying to figure out what his intention was. Before he could even ask, Shry had abruptly turned on his heel and stalked off from the bridge. Hux stared after him, brow furrowed in confusion. Just what the hell had that been all about?

Hux stayed on the bridge for a few more hours, reluctant to head back to his empty quarters. Kylo had to do some sort of endurance training for Snoke that promised to last all night. Ah well. Perhaps he could get some decent sleep without having the Knight clinging to him like his arms had suckers and hogging all the covers. He could almost convince himself it was true as the door automatically swooshed open.

What he hadn’t expected was the dark silhouette sitting on his bed. Hux’s hand automatically went for the blaster that wasn’t on his hip as he turned on the light. The tense feeling in his shoulders didn’t desist when he saw that it was Shry. He had his mask and most of his layers off, leaving him in an undershirt which allowed room for his…were those wings? The ridiculously large gun was propped up against the bed. Seeing his face, the reddish skin tone and the bulbous eyes with the long snout, Hux saw a species he’d only seen in old holovids. Shry was a Genosian. 

“And here I was thinking the Genosian species was wiped out,” Hux said as he entered the room. Shry shrugged expansively and spread his arms wide, as if saying ‘Not quite.’ Exactly where Kylo and Snoke had dug this one up from was a mystery that he would have to ask about another time. For now, he had a more pressing question on his mind. “What are you doing in my quarters?”

Shry spoke in what Hux now realized had to be the Genosian language, that odd set of clicks and growls that came from a double set of mandibles. “I don’t know if you realize this yet, but I have no idea what you’re saying.” Shry nodded, a grin coming over his admittedly ugly face. “And yet you keep talking.” Hux could feel a muscle throbbing in his face right below his left eye. “Well, if you insist on taking over my quarters, I’m sure that I can find something to occupy myself with for the next few hours.” Hux turned to leave.

The door slammed shut and Hux felt his feet become glued to the floor. Of course. All the Knights of Ren were Force-sensitive. He felt himself turned back around and saw Shry there with one clawed hand raised in the air. He was dragged closer to the bed. Then he spoke Basic in a thick accent. “Genr’al Hux. Sit. Stay.”

So, it appeared the bug did know how to speak somewhat after all. “I don’t seem to have much of a choice, do I?” He said dryly. Shry grinned once again, his wings fluttering with the motion. Hux had to admit, the delicate, leathery-looking appendages were the only part of the bug that were at all graceful or beautiful. It was easier than staring at his face. With the large eyes set in a red-tone exoskeleton, by most human standards it was shockingly ugly.

Unable to leave by his own will, Hux sighed in resignation. He removed his gloves and boots. As he did so, Shry stretched out his lean body across the bed, lying on his thorax and abdomen. “Comfortable?” Hux asked sourly. Shry nodded, somehow managing a smirk on that snout of his. “Well, by all means then, stay as long as you like,” Hux said sarcastically. Shry, on the other hand, seemed to take the words at face value. He stretched out to his full length, which meant Hux now had part of the Genosian’s legs and wings sprawled out over his lap. 

Hux was beginning to think that the common trait that all the Knights of Ren shared was a lack of personal space. Enough was enough. He grabbed a hold of the joints where the wings attached to Shry’s body and attempted to bodily force the bug off of him. Instead, he produced a low, protracted chittering from the Genosian, who had his eyes closed. Hux glanced towards Shry and repeated the motion. Shry gave a contented sigh, his wings fluttering just a little. The wings felt warm and soft, a sharp contrast with Shry’s hard exoskeleton. Hux stroked the wings a few more times. It wasn’t any different than petting his cat, save for one being a tiny bundle of fur and the other being a very large bug. Shry’s legs kicked out a few times as Hux’s fingers seemed to touch sensitive joints and nerves, but for the most part, he remained quite still.

He lay there for some time, letting Hux’s fingers travel down his back and wings. Finally, Hux’s fingers came to rest on the tips of his wings. Shry lay there, making a contented clicking sound. Before Hux could make sense of what had just happened, the Knight stood up, sweeping his clothes and helmet back on in a few swift movements. He picked up his gun, patted Hux gently on the shoulder, and made a click that Hux was almost positive meant, ‘Thank you.’ Then he was out the door. 

Hux sat there, trying to understand. What the hell had just happened?

 

The rest of Shry’s visit passed without notice. He spent much of his time on the rifle range, testing his skills against those of the Stormtroopers. His skill with the weapon was beginning to be classified as legendary among them. Anytime he saw Hux, he seemed to make a point of getting inside his personal space, his clawed, gloved hand always coming to rest on his shoulder or arm. At the end of the five-day period, Snoke summoned the Knight to his holographic chamber room.

Shry appeared from the summons with a new assignment. Kylo insisted that Hux be there to see off the Knight. Shry clapped a hand on Hux’s shoulder by way of farewell, which made the general stiffen up. He could practically see the grin on the bug’s face as he clicked and growled at Kylo before he boarded the shuttle.

As it took off, Kylo turned towards Hux. “What did you think of him?”

Hux’s mouth twisted into a grimace. “He was…strange.” 

Such a proclamation made Kylo chuckle, a distorted sound as it came through his mask. “I did try to warn you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me he was Geonosian?” Hux asked.

“Oh, he showed you his face? He generally only does that with people that he really trusts.”

The expression on Hux’s face produced another laugh from Kylo. “Just wait until the next one comes.”

Kylo begin to walk off, leaving the stunned general behind. Suddenly, his mind caught up and he made a scramble to catch up to the Knight. “ _Another_ one? What do you mean another one?”

“Shry told me that he’s contacted the other Knights and told them how relaxing spending a few days here was. The next one will be arriving in two weeks.”

Hux stopped dead in his tracks. Dear Gods in heaven above, there was going to be _more_ of them coming? He was going to need all the strength he possessed to survive them all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first time I've posted any fanfiction in YEARS, so be kind, since I am rather nervous. Also, each chapter title comes from the concept art for the Knights that has been floating around, so if my descriptions are too vague, you can match them up that way.


	2. The Monk

This time, Hux was determined to be prepared for the next arrival. He wasn’t going to be caught flat-footed if they turned out to be a different species. So he grilled Kylo on who was going to turn up on the Finalizer. “Her name is Orantha. She’s a Twi’lek,” Kylo said one day as Hux finished off a few reports in his office. The task was made all the more difficult by the fact that Kylo was sitting on top of his desk and doing his utter best to entice Hux away from his task. He’d already shed a few layers in hopes of getting Hux to look up. If he had been wearing anything other than that ridiculous combination of suspenders and a top that didn’t quite fit, he might have succeeded.

“And?” Hux asked.

“And what? She’s very good at her job and can quote every piece of literature on the Sith backwards and forwards. What more do you want to know?” Kylo asked, sprawling across the desk like a very large cat.

“The last time you brought one of those Knights on board, you said he was different. The next thing I know, he’s broken into my quarters and taken over my bed!” Hux complained, sounding a touch scandalized.

Kylo’s lips twitched as he unsuccessfully tried to hide a smile. “Shry was just being friendly. It’s not easy for him, you know. There aren’t many Genosians left in the galaxy and I’ve never run into another besides him that was Force-sensitive. Sometimes, I think he’s a little lonely.”

Hux finally looked up, puzzlement clearly written on his face. “And being in my bed was what? A way to let his guard down?”

Kylo leaned across the desk, kissing Hux firmly on the lips. “Something like that.”

Hux finally gave up on finishing his last budgetary report. He put in a hasty notice for the cleaning crew to prepare quarters for Orantha Ren and pulled Kylo towards him by one of his ridiculous suspenders. The matter was completely driven from his mind. After all, he’d gotten through two Knights of Ren without too much difficulty. How much different could a third one be?

Orantha Ren arrived looking nothing the stereotypical Twi’leks that General Hux had heard about in his youth. Then again, the most common image of a Twi’lek woman was a slave in a scantily-clad outfit with chains around her wrists. There was nothing soft about the woman in her gender-concealing robes and death’s skull mask. He wondered where in the hell she was managing to hide her lekku tails. That was a question best left for a moment when she wasn’t holding a deadly weapon in her hands. She definitely looked like she knew how to use that spear to the fullest degree.

He stepped forward and nodded towards the Knight. “Orantha Ren, we’re honored by your presence--”

She waved the words away with a gloved hand. The mask’s vocoder turned any pleasant soprano tones into harsh, grating sounds to his ears. “You may dispense with the pleasantries, General Hux. I am here to satisfy my curiosity, nothing more.”

Hux raised an eyebrow. “Your curiosity?”

“Yes. Shry has told me of his visit here. I wish to see the Finalizer and its inhabitants for myself.”

Something about the way she said the word ‘Inhabitants’ as she looked Hux over made something clench up in his stomach. Nothing was revealed on his face as he walked with her down the corridor away from the shuttle landing. “Of course. If there is anything that can be done to make your stay more comfortable--”

Much to his annoyance, she cut him off again. “Yes. I want a training room and any battle droids you may have ready for me at all times.”

Hux was beginning to dislike this proud, haughty woman. But again, nothing showed on his face. “It will be done, Ren.” He was thankful that was the moment that Kylo chose to show up.

“Apologies for being late, Orantha,” Kylo said, stepping forward to greet his fellow Knight.

For the first time, Orantha appeared actually happy, lighting up at the sight of the Master of the Knights. “Kylo Ren.” They pressed their masks together in a greeting much more intimate than anything the general would have thought such a harsh pair capable of.

“I see you’ve met the general,” Kylo said when they parted.

“Yes. I think he’ll do nicely,” Orantha said. Hux felt like a piece of meat as she gave him a knowing sidelong glance. Before he could question the suggestive remark, she’d sidled past the pair of them and turned down another corridor. He did have to admit that there was something of the traditional Twi’lek gracefulness to the way she seemed to glide down the corridor. Combined with the image of her holding onto her spear and he was left with the impression of a beautiful but deadly insect.

Kylo watched her walk away. “I think this will be good for her. She’s not had an easy time lately.”

Hux tore his eyes away from her figure. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Kylo shrugged, making a point of turning his masked face away. “It’s not my place to tell. If she wants you to know, she will.”

Orantha Ren proved to live up to that expectation of a beautiful, deadly creature. This time, he was able to catch a glimpse of the rigorous training the Knight paced herself through. Curiosity at how this Knight stacked up to the one who had come before meant she had an audience at the door of the training room. 

The spear, which appeared to have some electrified properties, was a weapon of mass destruction in her hands. Hux woefully thought of the budget he was going to have to prepare to explain the loss of the battle droids she had demolished one by one. She elegantly twirled the weapon as she slashed right through the bot, leaving it a smoking ruin. During the entire exercise, her robes hadn’t even become ruffled. When she looked up, though he couldn’t be certain, Hux had the oddest sensation that she was watching him from behind the skull-like mask.

Hux found that she was also more willing to associate with the crew. Well, he had to amend, at least with him. Whereas Shry had taken his food back to his quarters to eat, Orantha stayed in the mess hall. She plunked a tray down across from where Hux was picking at a sandwich. He said nothing about the amount of food on her plate. He knew from watching Kylo devour trays of food that Force users burnt through a lot of calories. Getting a look at her face for the first time, he found himself staring a stunningly beautiful violet-hued Twi’lek. Her eyes were a brilliant shade of yellow. He blinked and tried not to be caught staring at her lips. “So, general,” she began conversationally. “I see that you are Kylo Ren’s new paramour.”

Hux barely managed to swallow the bite of sandwich stuck in his throat. “He told you?”

Orantha casually speared a piece of meat onto her fork. “Not in so many words. Shry suspected as much when he was on the ship. You project your feelings for him loud enough.” Her eyes, which had been hard as flint up until this point, softened a little. “General, I have faked the emotion of love often enough to know when I see the real thing. So I suggest you don’t mess things up with him.”

Hux was taken aback by her blunt honesty. So, in a rare mood, he decided to be just as honest. “I can tell you that I have no intention of breaking Kylo Ren’s heart.”

“Good. Because if you do, there are five other Knights besides myself who know how to make a man’s death stretch out over the course of days, general.” She said the words quite casually as she ate her salad.

Hux suddenly had lost his appetite.

 

“…and then she threatened to kill me,” Hux complained to Kylo later on that night. He was lying on his stomach, with Kylo resting on top of his back.

“That’s just how we show we care for one another,” Kylo said, seemingly unruffled at the thought of his lover’s potential demise.

“And what if something happens? What if they misinterpret every fight we have as a break-up and they actually go through with it?” Hux demanded.

Kylo kissed the back of Hux’s neck. “You’ll be fine. Shry and Orantha both already like you. That’s three you have on your side right there. One more and you’ll have a majority ruling.”

Hux groaned and buried his face in his pillow. His next words were muffled. “Please don’t tell me another one is coming.”

The silence from Kylo confirmed Hux’s worst suspicions. “I want a detailed dossier of this one on my desk tomorrow morning. I refuse to be caught unawares again.”

Kylo nudged Hux’s face until he had rolled back over and was looking up at him. “Don’t mind about the Knights. You’re doing fine with them.” He gave Hux a long, lingering kiss and wrapped his arms around him. It wiped the troubles away from his mind until all he could focus on was the Knight he currently had in his bed.

 

The high-pitched scream of rage could be heard down the corridor. Two Stormtroopers stood at the head of it, allowing no one to pass. He’d received the call on his comm from Kylo ten minutes ago. “She came out of the meeting with Snoke, went down to the training room, and just started going berserk.”

For Kylo Ren to be calling anyone’s mood berserk let Hux know how serious this was. “Didn’t you try to stop her?” Hux asked.

“I did. The medics say my hands will be fine by tomorrow,” Kylo replied dryly. “I think you’ll do better than I was able to.”

“Me? Why me?” Hux asked, wishing he could add a petulant whine into the words. But he was a professional.

“Just a hunch,” Kylo had said. “Go to her, Hux. She needs to talk to someone right now.”

As Hux approached the room, he saw Orantha take out another droid in a frenzied attack. This was nothing like the graceful moves she had maneuvered through in all of her other sessions. Those were almost like a choreographed, deadly dance. These were much more primal, anger-driven movements designed to hurt and kill. With the latest droid destroyed, the spear was pointing at the ground. The mask amplified her panting, her limp, livid black-clad form standing in the middle of the room.

Hux stood at the entrance, waiting for her to notice him. When it appeared that nothing was going to snap her out of it, he coughed lightly. “Ahem.”

Orantha whirled on him, the grip on her spear tightening. Hux felt a plunging grip of fear in his stomach for a moment. When she saw who it was, the point of the spear lowered to the ground. “General,” she said, her voice sounding as cold as when she had first stepped off the shuttle.

“What seems to be troubling you?” he asked, stepping over the severed head of a training droid that was still giving off sparks.

“Nothing,” she replied, far too sharply and quickly for that to be the truth.

Hux didn’t say anything. He couldn’t make her talk if she didn’t want to. Despite the danger being near an unstable Force user could be, he went closer. Her spear scraped the ground, leaving a charred trail as it easily cut through the metal. “It’s just not fair,” she said quietly, the mask amplifying her words.

“What isn’t?” He asked.

“I’m as good as any of the other Knights. But he only ever gives me the same type of assignments. Assassinations.”

“That doesn’t sound so--”

“—it is when it’s the same type of assassinations over and over again. Go in, seduce the target, and then--” She sliced the spear through the air for emphasis. “The worst part is when I enjoy the seduction. It feels wrong. I’m a Knight. The Dark Side is meant to be wielded without such impure thoughts getting in the way.”

Hux had no idea what to say to that. He was always out of his depth when it came to talking about the Force. She clearly had different ideas than the other Knights as to how the power was meant to be used. He’d encountered zealotry before, mostly in the form of Kylo. But she appeared to have gone even further than the other Knight, seeing her position as akin to a priest or a monk. 

As Orantha sunk down to her knees, Hux had no idea what to do. He knelt down beside her, one hand awkwardly coming to rest on her shoulders. He half-expected to feel the spear stabbing through his entrails. Instead, he found her leaning against him, her hands clinging to him. 

He was so in over his head that he had no idea how to respond. All he could do was gently move his hand up and down her back, and murmur meaningless words, but that seemed to do the trick. With a long, shuddering sigh, the Knight seemed to recover from whatever madness had taken hold of her. Orantha stood up, squaring her shoulders. Whatever had passed between them was over.

She walked out of the room with only a quiet “Thank you” to mark her passing. Hux, for lack of anything else to do, put in a call to the cleaning staff to come and take care of the havoc she had wreaked on the training room.

Orantha seemed to carefully avoid him for the rest of the time she was on board the Finalizer. Whether it was out of a sense of shame or pure awkwardness, Hux couldn’t tell. When it came time for her to leave, Hux had planned to simply let her go, but Kylo dragged him back down to the shuttle bay. They faced each other, both clearly at a loss on what to say.

The Twi’lek finally broke the silence, any tone in her voice flattened by the voice modulator. “This was a most interesting experience. Thank you, General Hux.”

Had he been feeling more sarcastic (and suicidal), Hux might have been tempted to reply, ‘For what?’ As it was, he just gave her a stiff nod as she boarded the shuttle.

Kylo slipped an arm around his waist in a rare display of open affection. Most of the time, if they weren’t inside their quarters, his Knight was more standoffish. Still, Hux thought he could get used to this. “Whatever you did for her helped to center her. Orantha has always followed the code of the Knights much more rigorously than the others. She’s filled with turmoil.”

Hux turned to look at the masked man beside him. “I really didn’t do all that much.” Frankly, he was still baffled that he had done anything at all. "When is the next one arriving?”

“I don’t know. Jeth doesn’t follow a strict schedule. He’ll come when he comes.”

Hux just barely managed to suppress a groan. Some of what he was thinking must have shown on his face. Kylo leaned his head against Hux’s shoulder. “Relax. I can practically guarantee he won’t destroy anything on the ship. He’s got a very particular sort of nature.”

Hux was not reassured by this. Mentally, he was already setting aside another portion of the budget for damage controls.


	3. The Rogue

Jeth Ren was indeed unlike any of the other Knights. The Finalizer had stopped on Coruscant for a supply run when he turned up on the ship. Rather than any formal introductions, he simply turned up in the docking bay, as though he was another crate of supplies that had been picked up. He was lounging on top of a large metallic shipping container with the ease of a large predatory cat: lazy and indulgent, but still able to eviscerate someone without a second thought.

His mask was the first thing that caught Hux’s attention. Unlike the other masks he’d seen, which seemed to be meant to intimidate or invoke fear, this one seemed to be designed purely to grab the viewer’s attention. It was plated with metallic gold squares across the front that caught the light, each individual square glinting brightly. His jacket went across his body in a diagonal fashion, hiding most of the muscular body beneath. There was a weapon peeking out from between the folds. It looked a little like a lightsaber, but Hux knew it couldn’t be. Kylo had told him he was the only Knight to carry the ancient weapon.

It didn’t take long for the introductions to start. “Kylo!” He boomed out, the mask making the words especially loud. Jeth leapt to the ground, landing nimbly on his feet. He strode up to his fellow Knight, wrapping him up in what looked like a bone-crushing hug. Kylo just stood there, awkwardly hugging back.

Then the mask whipped around, staring at Hux with intensity. “And this must be the general the others have told me so much about!” He proclaimed in a lilting accent that bore a slight resemblance to Hux’s own. Before Hux could even get out a word of protest, he too was scooped up into a firm hug. He struggled for a moment before going limp. When the Knight let him go, Hux straightened out his greatcoat as Jeth proceeded to corner Phasma next, who was busy supervising the new shipment of helmets and armor that had come in. She turned her blaster on him to no avail.

“What is he doing?” Hux hissed at Kylo, wondering what sort of psychotically cheerful madman had been unleashed on his ship.

“This is…how he shakes hands,” Kylo said in the resigned tone that said he had long ago given up on trying to get the young Knight to behave properly.

“I don’t like it,” General Hux sniffed out.

“Nobody likes it. But I suggest you get used to it,” Kylo warned. “He’ll only get worse from here.”

Indeed, as the day went on, Jeth appeared to resemble nothing so much as an overenthusiastic lop-eared pup. The crew seemed unsure of what to make of this Knight, who practically pounced on top of them before enthusiastically talking their ears off, cheerfully telling them of the victims that he’d recently murdered. 

Hux turned a corner to find Mitaka flattened against the wall, Jeth leaning over him with one arm braced on the wall above his head. “—so then I let the spider tear them apart one by one!” As if it was the punchline of a joke, the Knight threw his head back and roared with laughter.

“Oh, that’s--” Mitaka gave a feeble laugh, looking absolutely terrified.

Taking pity on his officer, Hux strode forward. “Lieutenant, I do believe that you’re needed back on the bridge.”

“Yes, sir,” he said, shooting Hux a grateful look as he walked briskly down the corridor.

“Was that really necessary?” Jeth asked, sounding a bit miffed. “It’s not like I was going to rip out his small intestine and strangle him with it.”

“Is that something you’ve done often?” Hux said dryly. The only response he got was another laugh from the flashy Knight. “Having dealt with three Knights on this ship, the crew has come to expect them to act a certain way.”

“I can see. Walk with me, Hux,” Jeth said in a commanding tone. Despite his extroverted personality, he did seem to share some traits with his fellow Knights, including taking for granted that his orders would be followed. Being the terror of the galaxy allowed them such a luxury. “Now, I know you’re expecting me to say that I’ll kill you if you break my leader’s heart. And I will.” Hux sighed internally. This was becoming a tiresome pattern. “But I also have to commend you on taking care of Shry and Orthana while they were here.”

That bewildered Hux. “Me? I hardly did anything.”

“You listened to them without quivering in fear. That’s a rarity in itself,” Jeth said.

Hux had discovered that he had been led back to his own quarters. Jeth punched the override code into the panel beside the door, which swooshed open smoothly on the automatic hinges. How did he even know the code? Hux could only assume that Kylo had shared it with the other Knights. If he had, he and his Knight were going to have a serious talk about boundaries.

Jeth immediately made his way over and pushed the button that revealed a hidden panel in the wall with the liquor cabinet built into it. Hux was once again left wondering how he had known exactly where that was. “In case you’re wondering how I knew exactly where that was--” Jeth tapped the side of his mask. “--you need to learn how to better shield your thoughts.”

“I’ll take that under consideration,” Hux said. He had that beginning-to-be-familiar sensation of being out of his element when talking about the Force. He watched as Jeth immediately went for the good Corellian ale. He swept two glasses out and poured them each a generous amount. One hovered in the air and made its way over to Hux. After a moment of trepidation, he slid a hand around it.

The mask came off with a hiss, revealing a handsome, tanned face with blue eyes and sun-bleached blonde hair that was swept back from his face in the latest galactic fashion. Jeth was perhaps four or five years younger than Kylo. He held up his glass. “Cheers, General.” He tossed back half of the glass before putting it back down. Hux merely sipped his to be polite.

“So tell me, what’s the body count Kylo’s racked up on your ship?” Jeth asked, smirking over the rim of his glass.

“Would you like the list from the past six months or starting from the beginning of time?” Hux countered.

That got another laugh out of the Knight. It was an odd contrast, Hux reflected, someone this manically cheerful being able to kill people using only his brain. “I can see why the others have taken a shine to you.”

That made Hux slam his glass down on his desk. “And _why_ is that? In the past few months, I’ve had two Knights breaking into my quarters and breaking down in my arms.”

“You forgot to mention the one sleeping in your bed,” Jeth added impishly.

Hux felt his face flush at the mention of Kylo. “We’re getting off the subject here. The point stands that three Knights of Ren have been following me around as if they want something from me. It’s becoming quite tiresome and I would very much like an answer as to why it keeps happening!” There was a glint in Hux’s eyes very much like the one he had when he had just finished a particularly rousing speech.

Jeth seemed completely at ease even as the general became more wound up. “You want an honest answer?”

“I would think that was apparent,” Hux snapped. Gods, could none of them just ever come right out and say what they were feeling? He felt like he was dealing with such _children._

Jeth looked down into his glass. It swirled around in a small whirlpool courtesy of the Force. “You’re not afraid of us. Being a Knight means having great and terrible powers at your fingertips, General, but it’s also a lonely business. We don’t really have anyone to talk to. No one but each other and the Supreme Leader sees to it that we’re kept apart often enough. You learn to go without. Not caring if someone shows you affection or attention, but there’s something inside that still wants it, even when you’re standing there covered in blood or choking someone to death from across the room.” He finally looked back up. “You’re a rare sort. Me and the others can see what good Kylo’s relationship has done for him.”

Hux shifted uncomfortably. “Are you saying you all want to--?”

“What?” Jeth’s brow crinkled in confusion and then smoothed out in understanding. “No! No, nothing like that. We don’t want to sleep with you. I think we all need something different from you. Shry wants someone just to pet and hold him. He’s the loneliest one of us all in a sense. Orantha wants someone she can let her guard down around and be vulnerable with.”

“And you? What do you want?” Hux asked, understanding finally beginning to reach him about the strange set of circumstances he had found himself in.

“Me? All I want is someone to talk to and have a drink with. I’m a man of simple tastes,” Jeth said. There was a smile on his lips, but only now did Hux see the loneliness there in the bright blue eyes.

Suddenly, the odd behavior of the Knights over the past few months made a lot more sense. Their propensity for getting inside Hux’s personal space and always appearing when they seemed to want him the most took on a new meaning. As he saw it, there were only two options ahead of him. He could either stop this nonsense right now. Hux would make it very clear that he wasn’t their godsdamned therapist or whatever they wanted him to be. He saw a very messy ending in that option, one where he had a host of pissed-off Knights coming after him. In the other, he accepted the inevitable and just tried his best to understand this odd group of individuals who seemed to want his attention.

He was already leaning towards the second option when Jeth piped up again. Hux knew his mind had been read. “Just give in, General. It’ll save you a lot of headaches. ‘Sides, I’ve already told Quentin and F’nark all about you. They’re dying to come on board after I leave.”

All the color drained out of Hux’s (already pale) face. Two Knights at once? He could barely handle each of them separately.

“You’ll be fine,” Jeth said reassuringly as he drained the rest of his glass and headed for the door. “If you’ve been able to handle us all this far, you’ll survive the others.” He left, leaving Hux with quite a bit to ponder.

 

That night, Kylo’s head was in his lap as he sat upright on the bed. One hand was going over the reports on his holopad and the other was absentmindedly stroking through Ren’s hair. Before they had actually gotten together, he’d often wondered if it was indeed as soft and fluffy as it looked. The answer was yes. “Jeth made an interesting point today,” he mentioned casually.

“Oh? Did he tell you about the time he literally ripped someone’s windpipe out with his bare hands?” Kylo asked, his eyes still closed.

Hux suppressed a shudder as his fingers came to a standstill in Kylo’s hair. No matter how much he was willing to tolerate the Knights, their propensity for the sheer amount of violence they could get up to was unnerving. “Ah, no. He mentioned that the reason the Knights kept coming on board was because they’ve taken a special interest in me. I believe the exact words he mentioned were that I’m not afraid of them like everyone else is.”

Kylo tilted his head so that he could look up at Hux. There was a look of mild exasperation mixing with amusement on his face. “Really? It took you this long to figure it out?”

Hux huffed in annoyance. “You knew and didn’t even bother to tell me?”

“I would have thought you’d have figured it out after Shry broke into your room!” Kylo exclaimed, as if Hux was the dumbest person in the world for not understanding this sooner.

“So it took me awhile. I would think you of all people would know that sometimes it takes me a while to figure things out,” Hux sniped back.

Kylo had to admit he had him there. Considering their idea of flirtation had to been to insult each other on a daily basis until they’d gotten a clue, he could hardly blame the general for not understanding things sooner. “Does it bother you so much? I can ask them to stop.”

“No. It’s just…different, that’s all,” Hux said. He thought back to long childhood dinners with his father and mother at one end of the table and himself at the other, with no conversation going on. Later on at the Academy, he hadn’t really had any friends, never seeing the point when his ambitions took up all of his time. Even his sexual encounters, up until he had met Kylo, had been more about fulfilling his physical needs than any emotional ones. Maybe the Knights had singled him out for affection, but they weren’t the only ones getting something out of these strange circumstances.

 

Jeth made a point of stopping by every afternoon to chat with Hux. The man definitely seemed to be the most emotionally-balanced of the Knights, save for the cheerfully graphic ways in which he’d describe how he’d murder anyone that the Supreme Leader had ordered him to. The general could overlook that, considering that he was also charming and had a propensity for making insights into other people’s characters that Hux would never see. He chalked up the last bit to being able to read people’s minds. 

Hux did note that if he stayed on the ship much longer, he’d have to restock his liquor cabinet. The man drank like a fish. Then one afternoon, he set out two shot glasses and waited. When the afternoon became evening, and Jeth still hadn’t made an appearance, Hux was bothered. It was beneath him to go looking for the Knight, but he made a point to mention it to Kylo when they had ended up once again in his quarters that evening.

“You didn’t know?” Kylo said as he removed his helmet, giving Hux a sad look. “He left the ship.”

Hux felt a ripple of disappointment run through him. He had to admit; of all the Knights he’d seen thus far, he’d liked Jeth the best, despite the stories of dismembered limbs and pints of blood that tended to color his daily visits. “Did he say why?”

“No. Jeth tends to come and go as he pleases.” Kylo say down next to Hux, pulling off the man’s gloves using only his teeth. He spoke from around the leather clamped between his teeth. “Don’t take it to heart. I thought you didn’t like having them around.”

“Not precisely,” Hux said as Kylo’s tongue ran over his thumb. His Knight soon made him forget any disappointment he had in the abrupt disappearance of Jeth Ren.

(He was surprised but touched when a new bottle of Corellian ale was delivered to the ship just as it finished restocking. There was no note attached, but Hux knew exactly who had sent it.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has read, left kudos, or commented thus far! It's been very encouraging, considering I had no idea what sort of reaction I was going to get. The next part will be coming a little slower, since I only have it half-written out. With the length it's getting, I might have to split it up into two parts.


	4. The Heavy

The Knights that arrived at the same time looked as though they had come from the middle of a battlefield. One bore a completely impractical looking weapon that appeared to be a large cleaver. There was still some dried blood splashed across it. The man wielding it was built like one of the Empire’s old AT-ATs: big, solid, slow-moving, and clearly deadly. His mask looked ancient, like a design from thousands of years in the past. 

By contrast, the other man was short to the point of being tiny and made even smaller looking by the fact he appeared to be a walking armory. Hux counted no less than four weapons strapped to his body, not including the staff he was keeping tight hold of in his right hand. His mask was crossed in an X-shaped pattern.

Both of them were covered with a potent mixture of gore that coated their black clothes and appeared to barely be able to stand on their feet. Whatever they had been up to had taken its toll on the pair. Still, the larger one spoke in a tired growl when Hux approached. “General. I’m Quentin Ren. That’s F’nark Ren.” The smaller one raised his free hand wearily in greeting. The tense grip on his weapon never loosened. “I’ll be sure to mention how appreciative of your hospitality we truly are once I’ve taken a shower and had more than half an hour of sleep.”

…Half an hour? Exactly how did Snoke expect his elite soldiers to function under such poor conditions? Hux didn’t approve at all. There was no sense from a military standpoint in running the best troops into the ground. Nothing showed on his face. “Your quarters have already been prepared. And if either of you is planning to threaten me with bodily harm if my relationship with Kylo Ren sours, please do so right now.”

The pair exchanged glances through their masks, apparently amused but too tired to actually express it. “We’ll spare you the details of what we’ll do. Just know that by the end you’ll be looking at pieces of yourself.” Hux remained composed, which seemed to please the larger Knight. “Maybe you’ll do alright after all,” Quentin said approvingly. He patted Hux on the shoulder, leaving a smear of grime behind as he walked off, F’nark close on his heels. The smaller Knight still hadn’t said so much as a word during the entire exchange.

Hux looked down at the smudge mark on his coat, his lips curling with distaste. It was going to need to be cleaned and possibly fumigated before he could even think of wearing it again.

The pair had been in their rooms for almost a full twenty-four hours. Nobody had seen them go in or out. Hux could hear the murmurings from his crew. “How certain are we that they’re still alive?” Mitaka wondered to a fellow officer on the bridge.

“I think it would take more than exhaustion to put down one of the Knights of Ren,” Rodinon replied.

“But what else could they be doing in there? Performing some dark sacrifices to the Force?” Mitaka mused.

Hux very nearly rolled his eyes at that. He’d never given much thought to how much his crew knew about the Force. It was very clear to him that they were even more ignorant than he himself had been at the start of his career. In truth, there was much he still didn’t understand. There was a lot of mysticism involved with channeling the Force, meditation and centering oneself and a whole lot of other nonsense that didn’t make a vessel like the Finalizer run any smoother.

Still, perhaps they did have a point. He went to their quarters and knocked on the first door. There was no response. Hux knew how much he would hate it if someone went into his rooms without permission. Still, he was doing this purely out of concern. Tapping the override code onto the keyboard, he entered Quentin’s room.

Aside from the rumpled bed sheets, there was no indication that the man had ever been in there. A quick check of the second set of quarters produced the same result. Ah, well. Perhaps they had gone to get something to eat.

 

Hux put the idea of the two Knights out of his mind until he went back to his personal quarters as afternoon turned into evening. Opening up the door, he found Quentin sitting on his bed and rummaging through his belongings.

“Get out,” Hux said flatly.

The masked Knight looked up, completely unashamed at being caught looking through the general’s private collection of holovids. “Is that any way to treat your guest, commander?”

“No, that’s how I treat people who break into my quarters,” the general grumbled. Why did he even bother with a lock? It was clear nothing short of rigging a small explosive was going to keep the Knights out. “Where’s the other one? I want you both out of here in two minutes.”

Quentin waved a hand vaguely at the other room. F’nark walked out holding Millicent in his arms, scratching the cat behind her ears. The orange cat was purring contentedly. That, more than anything, caused Hux to stare. Millicent was a little hellbeast, twenty pounds of fury in a ten pound body. She’d turn any hand that wasn’t her master’s into mincemeat if it got within two feet of her. She’d turned that fury on Kylo Ren and tried every trick in the book until she’d figured out he wasn’t going anywhere. Then she’d begrudgingly allowed him to sleep in Hux’s bed, but she still wouldn’t let the Master of the Knights of Ren come anywhere near her royal presence.

And here F’nark was, producing a rumbling purr from her furry little chest. She was looking up at the Knight as if he was her new favorite. Clearly, this Knight had powers beyond those of a normal Force user. “Let’s go, F’nark. It appears we’re not wanted here,” Quentin said.

F’nark shrugged and made his way towards the door, still holding onto Millicent.

Hux blocked the door with an arm. “Leave the cat,” he said in a flat tone.

F’nark looked up at Hux and down at Millicent. “But he likes her,” Quentin said. 

“Leave. The. Cat,” Hux said, feeling a headache coming on. F’nark looked back towards his fellow Knight and then back up at the general. Hux had to wonder if he was communicating using only his mind, for Quentin seemed to understand him perfectly. Then again, maybe Quentin was just the mouthpiece for the pair of them.

“He’s not leaving this room unless he can take her with him. So you have a choice. Either we stay here or the cat goes.” Quentin Ren did not look like the type of man that one negotiated or had a debate with. And Hux was overcome with a sudden weariness brought on by the whole situation.

“Fine. Stay here. I’ve ceased to care,” he said. It was as close to admitting defeat as he was going to get.

F’nark seemed satisfied with that answer and snuggled the cat closer to his chest. Millicent looked up at her owner with half-lidded eyes, clearly content with all the attention she had been receiving.

“Your taste in holovids is absolutely terrible,” Quentin complained as he continued to go through the small pile. “I won’t pass judgment on having the entire One Love In The Stars trilogy, but two Ewok documentaries?” He looked up and shook his head gravely. “Shameful, general.”

“Those are private!” He snapped, attempting to snatch some of them away. Quentin easily held them out of reach. 

“Still, you have The Blue Dwarf Job, so there’s hope for you yet.” F’nark nodded his agreement, letting Millicent now bat around the end of his weapon’s belt.

“Is that what you’re in here for? To pass critique on how I spend my spare time?” Hux was so very done with these two and wondered if he could get Kylo to drag them away. Surely, being the leader of this group of rabble meant he had to have _some_ control over them.

“No. Sit down, general.” One holovid hovered in the air and inserted itself into the small port on the wall. It began to play out in the large space in the middle of the room.

Suddenly, the absurdity of what he was witnessing hit Hux. The two Knights had taken over his room so that they could play with his cat and watch a movie with him. They were being…friendly. Yes, he was certain this is what friends did. And Jeth had already warned him not to fight against this. Well, there was nothing else for him to do. He sat down on the bed in the only spot that was left, which happened to be directly between the Knights. 

Several hours later, F’nark was asleep, his head leaning against Hux’s shoulder. Millicent lay in his lap, her furry body curled up in a perfect ball. Her deep breathing matched the human’s. They were halfway through the second part of One Love In The Stars, the tragic tale of two lovers stuck on opposite ends of the galaxy during the early days of space travel.

Quentin had removed his mask after going to make what he referred to as a supply run and what was really a raid of the kitchens for snacks. It was currently being used as a footrest for him. He was about thirty, with light brown skin and a shaved head. There was a deep scar that ran parallel through his right eyebrow. No hair grew along the ridge and it gave him a perpetually ponderous look. He moved slowly and with deliberation. From an outsider’s perspective, he looked like the type of dumb muscle that could be found guarding a Hutt’s palace or threatening people at a gangster’s hideout, but the sharp gleam of intelligence in his eyes gave Hux no illusions. One didn’t become a Knight of Ren by being a fool.

Turning to his other side, he watched the other Knight of Ren shift around in his sleep. F’nark looked like he could have been anywhere from eighteen to thirty. He just had one of those faces, unlined with dark, short hair and thin, angular eyes. Up close, the illusion of smallness prone to fragility gave way to that of a short, compact frame. There was something about him that continued to unnerve Hux. Maybe it was how he still hadn’t spoken a word or maybe it was the blank stare in his black eyes. His hands, when they hadn’t been petting Millicent, kept straying towards his weapons, a tic he was unable to overcome. Only sleep had quieted his restlessness.

Quentin munched on the food he had brought back automatically, watching the hologram unfold. He kept interrupting it with running commentary. “Can you believe this dialogue? No one actually talks like that.”

“This is a classic,” Hux said. “How have you never seen it before?”

“I’ve led a lifetime of deprivation,” Quentin replied. “Kylo used to say I must have lived on an asteroid before we met.” 

“How long have you known him?” Hux said, grabbing hold of this small piece of background. Quentin had been the first Knight to refer to his past.

“Oh, a long time, since we were kids. I trained with him back when we both thought we wanted to become Jedi. Does that surprise you?” 

Hux didn’t usually put much stock in the way someone looked, but he had to admit, it was hard to picture the tough-looking man sitting next to him as anything other than leading a life as some form of thug. He nodded.

“Me and Jeth, who was only a runt of a kid back then, we were the only two smart enough to join up when Snoke called to him. We went with him and never looked back,” Quentin said, pausing the holovid so he could concentrate on the conversation.

“And the others?” Hux questioned.

“They joined up later.” Quentin ticked them off on his fingers. “Lessee, Orthana was next, then Ursula, F’nark, and Shry came last. He’s the youngest.”

F’nark seemed to mumble something incoherent, eyelids fluttering rapidly as his hands moved towards his weapons, even as he remained fully asleep. Hux felt rather than saw Quentin tense up as they both watched the Knight calm down and settle back into a deeper sleep. “He must trust you. F’nark wouldn’t fall asleep on just anyone.”

“I think he just likes my cat,” Hux replied. The short Knight had spent most of the time spoiling Millicent by petting her and feeding her bits of food that Hux never would have given his pet.

“Close enough,” Quentin replied, turning the holovid back on. He groaned as the main leads professed how they were in love, so much love, just by staring into each other’s eyes. Hux had to admit, this had been a very strange, but very engaging evening.


	5. The Armory

Kylo was in one of the training rooms, his mask and robes taken off as he sparred with his lightsaber. Hux stood in the doorway, watching his Knight as he slashed and parried at imaginary opponents. Though he’d be loath to say anything out loud, he could have watched Kylo wielding the unstable weapon all day. Finally, the elegant weapon of a bygone age gave a final hiss as Kylo turned it off and turned to the other man.

“And what brings a general of the Finalizer all the way down here? It can’t possibly be to train with something.”

Hux ignored the jab at the way he didn’t carry a weapon around. Taking a few steps into the room, he ran a hand through Kylo’s sweat-soaked hair, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. “I was thinking perhaps you could explain to me why your fellow Knights have stolen my cat.”

Kylo nipped gently at Hux’s neck. “They actually took Millicent?”

Hux sucked in a quick breath. “She’s not in my quarters. I can only assume they’re holding her hostage.”

“She’ll be fine,” Kylo said, punctuating each word as he alternately kissed and bit at Hux’s exposed throat. “I’ve known Quentin a long time. He and F’nark won’t harm a hair on that cat’s head.”

Hux tried half-heartedly to pull away from his lover. “I’m still on-duty.”

Kylo grabbed his wrists and pulled him down towards the mats that were on the floor. “I suggest you take some time out for _training._ ”

Hux found it hard to argue as Kylo slid a hand under his uniform tunic, running a hand along his chest. Well, maybe he could just take ten minutes out of the day…

The sound of his comm going off interrupted the pair an annoyingly short time late. With a final pant and thrust, Hux reached for the comm as he spent himself inside Kylo. “General Hux here.”

“General, we have a situation down in level three,” Phasma said, her voice cool and remote as always.

“Can you take care of it yourself?” Hux said, still stuck in a post-coital haze.

“Sir, this is involving one of the Knights. You’d best get down here,” she replied. Hux could hear shouts and the sounds of blaster fire going on in the background. That cleared his head immediately.

Hux cursed and hastened to put on his clothes. Kylo looked up at him, his longish hair sticking to one cheek. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m not sure. Something to do with one of the Knights. I have to go,” he said, feeling much more like a babysitter than he had just a few minutes ago. “Meet me down on level three when you can.” It was clearly going to take Kylo more time to get put back together. The man wore about five layers, which was really three more than he actually needed.

“Be careful,” Kylo warned, eyes going distant. “I sense a disturbance.”

The apprehensive feeling in the back of his mind only grew as he approached the third level. There was an alarm blaring now and he could see scorch marks on the walls where the blasters had gone off. Phasma had evacuated most everyone out of the area with the exception of several of her trusted troops. Her chrome helmet swiveled towards Hux as he strode up, looking less put together than usual. “Sir.”

“Which Knight is it?” Hux questioned.

“F’nark Ren.” Of course, Hux thought. It was always the quiet ones. “We’re attempting to contain the situation, but no one has been able to get near him.” And they weren’t likely to, with the Force able to be used at his fingertips.

Hux braced himself for what was sure to be an unpleasant task ahead. Phasma stopped him before he could go any further down the hall. “Sir…be careful.” She shoved a blaster into his hands. “If you have a shot, don’t hesitate to take it.” Hux gave a brisk nod and rounded the corner. 

The general took in the situation in a glance. The two Knights were ahead of him, still masked, but half-dressed, as if something had surprised them in their quarters. Quentin had his hands up and looked like he was struggling to hold onto an invisible rope. F’nark was about ten feet away down the corridor, one hand holding onto a staff. The end of it was being shoved into the throat of a Stormtrooper, who was remaining perfectly still. The other hand was holding onto, what Hux realized with a shock, was a thermal detonator. At his feet lay the prone forms of two other Stormtroopers. Hux couldn’t tell if they were alive or dead.

“Vermin. They’re all vermin.” Hux realized that the raspy voice was coming from F’nark. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he filed away the fact that the Knight didn’t sound precisely like he was all there. It was like listening to someone talking in their sleep. The man’s body had slight tremors running through it and Hux recognized the look of someone being held in place by the Force. He realized that Quentin was the only reason why they hadn’t already been blown to hell.

“General,” Quentin said with a nod in his direction. There was a definite strain in his voice. His hands remained steady in that same holding-something-invisible pattern. “Good of you to join us. I hope you have a plan, because I can’t hold onto him forever. He’s been fighting me with everything he’s got.”

“What happened?” Hux hated to waste precious moments, but he couldn’t go into this without knowing anything.

“Night terrors. They got him bad this time. I tried to calm him down.” Quentin gave a short, humorless bark of a laugh. “Didn’t work. He’s stuck somewhere in his own head, general, somewhere I can’t reach him.”

Hux should have felt fear or apprehension or some other emotion that would make him quake in his boots. Instead, what he felt was mad. This was _his_ ship, _his_ crew, and it was being terrorized all because some pissant of a Knight had a nightmare and decided to go on the rampage. He stormed past Quentin with only one clear idea in mind on how to regain control of the situation. 

“F’nark Ren! You will put down your weapons immediately!” Hux snapped. The Knight’s masked face slowly turned towards him, his head tilting in confusion. Well, he wasn’t immediately being Force thrown into a wall, so that was a good sign. He persisted, getting as close to the Knight as he dared. “You are aboard the Finalizer and will desist with what you are doing immediately. That’s a direct order from the Supreme Leader!”

At first, nothing changed. The Knight continued to struggle against the invisible bonds holding him. Then his head shook back and forth, like a sleepwalker waking up from a dream. “What…” He glanced down at the weapons in his hands like he was unsure of how they had gotten there. The grip on them didn’t loosen. The Stormtrooper was still being kept on her toes by the staff. Hux didn’t even know what it did. He also really didn’t want to find out.

It occurred to the general that he still had the blaster in his hand. If ever he was to have a perfect shot, this was it. He had it set right at his hip. But looking at the Knight standing there, looking lost and confused rather than the usual murderous terror of the galaxy, it stirred a little bit of something in the part of Hux’s heart that was still capable of feeling softer emotions. They were friends. Friends didn’t kill one another for no good reason.

He waited, telling himself that if F’nark didn’t put down that detonator in three seconds, he would shoot him. One… Nothing happened. Hux took aim. Two… He just kept slowly looking around, unsure of where he was and what he was doing. The ginger’s finger tightened on the trigger. Thr—The detonator’s charge was clicked back into the neutral setting. F’nark slid it back into the space on his vest from which it had come. Both Hux and the Stormtrooper breathed a sigh of relief as he pulled the staff away from her throat. Hux picked up his comm. “Captain Phasma?”

“Yes, commander?”

“Send a medical droid down here with the strongest sedative we have on board.” He watched as Quentin moved forward, cautiously approaching his fellow Knight. F’nark began to shake, little jolts running throughout his entire body. For the first time since they had started coming on board his ship, Hux had serious reservations about letting the Knights of Ren stay.

 

Quentin wouldn’t even look him in the eye as they watched over the prone form of the small Knight. F’nark was sedated and asleep once again, his face never relaxing even when drugged. Neither the medical droids nor the human personnel had any solid reason why he’d suddenly snapped the way he had. “Battle fatigue,” one old grey-haired nurse had said succinctly. “Sometimes, it all just catches up with soldiers at the worst possible time.”

Kylo was standing guard, watching over his fellow Knight with a care that Hux had never seen him show another living being besides himself. He’d been pacing back and forth for an hour, rushing back to F’nark’s side anytime the Knight’s fingers so much as twitched. He’d tried a mind probe to find out the root source of his behavior only to be driven back, clutching the side of his helmet. Even sedated, F’nark’s defenses were too strong.

“Thanks,” Quentin said from behind his mask.

“For what? Not killing him?” Hux asked.

“You could have. It was well within your rights. Nobody would have given a damn.” Quentin didn’t sound bitter. Instead, his voice held a pragmatic note.

“I think the Supreme Leader might have something to say if I killed one of his Knights,” General Hux said.

Quentin’s mask slowly turned towards Hux and he shook his head slowly. “How do you think he got this way in the first place?”

That gave Hux pause for thought. Quentin went over to where Kylo was crouched next to F’nark’s bedside and laid a hand on his shoulder. “You can’t do anymore for him right now. I’ll watch him.”

Something seemed to pass between the two old comrades that Hux wasn’t able to sense because they both turned and looked at him simultaneously. Kylo nodded and got up; grasping Quentin’s gloved hand with his own. “Let me know if there’s a change in his condition.” Kylo and Hux left the medical bay, neither one of them saying a word to the other.

 

“It has nothing to do with how I feel about them personally. They’re a danger to the whole ship!” Hux said irritably, pacing back and forth in his quarters.

Kylo hadn’t said much during the argument, only growing surlier and surlier. “Did you think they were harmless? That their powers would only affect their enemies?”

“I expected them to have enough self-control not to murder my crew or threaten to blow up half my ship!” Hux snapped back.

“We’re _weapons_ , Hux! You can’t expect them to go against their natures,” Kylo yelled.

“The crew is terrified.” The general pinched the bridge of his nose. “What am I supposed to tell them? ‘I’m so sorry if a few of you end up dead. I’m sure it won’t happen again.’ They’re terrified of the Knights.”

Kylo glared at the man he’d come to rely on for so much. Anger was tight in his voice. “And what about you? How do you feel?”

Hux was taken aback. “I—What does it matter?”

Kylo drew close to Hux, his dark eyes flashing. Hux felt a warning signal go off in his head. He’d seen that look too many times before, particularly right before Kylo had driven a lightsaber through his opponents’ chests. “It matters to me. Is that what you feel? That you have to be afraid of us?”

“Don’t put words in my mouth. I never said that,” Hux said irritably.

“But you feel it! Admit it, you’re afraid of me.” Kylo reached out with a hand. Hux felt the invisible choking sensation close in around his throat. He couldn’t help the automatic response as his eyes widened and a hand went up to his throat, trying desperately to get more air in. He tried to tell Kylo to stop and found there was no air left in his lungs.

Dark spots began to appear in front of Hux’s eyes and still Kylo’s relentless Force choke wouldn’t let up. A stab of icy fear entered his heart. He’d always known that being with Kylo Ren was a danger. The man was completely unstable at the best of times. But he’d never thought that Kylo would actually try to kill him. Hurt him, maybe, in one of his more unbalanced moods, but kill him? The thought that these moments might be his last were terrifying.

As Hux sunk down to his knees, the sensation on his throat abruptly pulled away. He gasped in large gulps of air. Looking up at Kylo, he could see a myriad of emotions go across his lover’s face. He looked stricken, like he had realized a line had been crossed.

“Hux--”

The general held out a hand, keeping Kylo at arm’s length. “Don’t you touch me.”

Kylo flinched as if Hux had physically reached out and struck him. “I didn’t--”

Hux got back to his feet. His features were hard as flint. “Get out.”

Kylo didn’t even protest. He made his way to the door. He stopped when it opened as the rest of Hux’s words were flung at his back. “And don’t come back.”

Only when he was left along did Hux realize that they’d both wounded each other the only way they knew how. Now things were broken between them and he didn’t know if they would ever be repaired. He swiped away the wetness at the corners of his eyes with a furious hand.


	6. The Last Knight

A few days later, F’nark and Quentin were in the medbay. F’nark laid back, the haze of sedation mostly worn off. He was as calm as the storm in his head was likely to allow. His hands weren’t nearly as twitchy as before, trying to grasp weapons that weren’t there. Quentin was perched on the end of his bed. “We need to call the others. Things have gotten bad around here,” Quentin said. F’nark nodded his agreement. Quentin picked up the private comm that was only tuned into the other ones that the Knights carried.

Orantha sat in a decadent chamber on a bed covered in satin sheets, wearing an outfit that covered only the bare essentials. Her target was on the floor. Yes, he was dead, but he had died a very happy man. She pulled her comm out and turned it on. “Orantha here.”

Jeth was sitting in the middle of a bar, bodies strewn all around him. There was a glass full of bright green liquid in his hand and he sipped it slowly. This hadn’t even been part of his assignment. But the Knight had to do something for fun. “Speak to me,” he said.

Shry cursed as the comm went off. He was clinging to a wall using his hands and bare feet; his gun looped around one arm. So much for stealth. He brought the gun up and sniped the three guards ahead of him. Each went down without a sound. He growled and clicked out his greeting to the other Knights.

“We’ve got a major problem,” Quentin said.

“Shoot. You’ve been there for six days. How did you two manage to mess things up?” Jeth said with a groan.

Quentin informed them of the meat of the details: how F’nark’s night terrors had caused a ruckus, how General Hux had saved him, but how now he and Kylo Ren weren’t on speaking terms because of it.

“This is my fault,” F’nark said miserably.

“Cut it out,” Jeth replied. “If it wasn’t you, it would have been one of us. It was just a matter of time. Now, anyone have ideas for damage control?”

“It’s simple, really. We get them back together,” Orantha said in a practical tone. “That way, they don’t lose each other and we don’t lose either of them. Otherwise, we’ll have to kill the general, and I think we can all agree that should be a last resort.”

Shry clicked and growled, adding his contribution in.

“Easier said than done is right,” Quentin agreed. “I think we can all agree that in matters of love and affection, we’re sorely lacking experience.”

Shry clicked again, sounding thoughtful.

“No, we are not mind tricking the general into getting back together with him,” Orantha scolded. “Besides, I already tried that once when I was there. Purely as an experiment, you understand. His mind is too strong.”

The comms went silent as the five of them thought for a long hard moment. “I think we know what needs to be done,” F’nark said hesitantly. “We need to call in Ursula.”

There was a pause as the other Knights considered this course of action. Orantha was the first to speak. “I don’t know. What if she only makes things worse?”

“Kylo’s already tried to strangle two officers today,” Quentin said. “Worse is subjective at this point.”

“So we’re in agreement then. Bring her in. I suppose the rest of us should just head back after our assignments are done,” Jeth said, finishing his drink and tossing it to the ground. “About time we had a family reunion.”

The rest of the Knights gave their agreement to the plan. “You realize if this doesn’t work--” Quentin began.

Shry cut him off with a short series of warning clicks, punctuated with the sound of a blaster as he shot another guard.

“Alright, alright. Let’s all hope for the best.”

 

Hux sat at his desk. Ostensibly, he was supposed to be going over the latest budget reports. He couldn’t focus. Getting up, he poured himself another drink, and then went back to his desk. The mournful aria he was listening to began to reach a crescendo. Hux was trying to ignore the ache in his heart. It had been a week since **that** incident and Kylo still hadn’t spoken a word to him. He had, however, destroyed five consoles, an environmental control panel, two training rooms, and three droids. That wasn’t even counting the numerous reports he’d received on the officers who had been personally threatened by his—well, he wasn’t really his Knight anymore now, was he? Kylo’s feelings on the matter were quite clear.

Sighing, he propped his elbows on his desk, sinking his head down into his hands. What a mess he was in. His thoughts were interrupted as two Knights came bounding into his quarters. 

“Shry? Jeth? What are you two doing here?” Hux thought to himself that it said something in that he could now tell the difference between the Knights just based off their masks.

The two of them were like a pair of black-clad cats, each one hugging and snuggling up to him in turn. Shry stayed close to Hux, patted him sympathetically on the head, elongated fingers mussing his perfectly-groomed red hair. He clicked at Hux in a long sentence, finishing it up with heavily accented Basic. “Poor Gen’ral.” A bug felt sorry for him. Hux wondered if he had officially reached rock-bottom yet. 

Jeth snatched away Hux’s drink, taking off his helmet so that he could toss it in down in two gulps. “We’re staging an intervention.”

“I’m fine,” came the automatic response.

Jeth scowled. “Cut the crap. We heard what happened. You’re moping.”

“I am--”

Shry interrupted him with a garble and click, somehow sounding dubious. Jeth agreed. “You’ve got sad music on and you’re drinking. This is the very definition of moping, mate. What _is_ that ungodly racket, anyway?”

“Vostok’s Second Suit. The Third Aria,” Hux said haughtily. Some people just had no appreciation for good music.

“Well, turn it off and get up. You’re coming with us,” Jeth bossily announced.

Hux frowned. This was his ship! Just who did these two think they were, coming in and ordering him around like he was a private fresh out of the Academy? “And if I respectfully decline?”

Jeth put his helmet back on, his voice sounding much more ominous in the mask’s voice modulator. “Then we’ll make you come with us, Hux. Trust me when I say it won’t be pleasant.”

Shry’s hand tightened on his arm for just a moment. He gave a warning click. The two looked expectantly at the general. Not for the first time, he was reminded that he was unarmed and in a room with two ruthless killers. Sighing, he got to his feet, smoothed his hair out, and put his greatcoat on. He hit a button and the opera cut out with an abrupt sound. “Where are we going?”

Shry garbled out an answer. Hux, of course, had no idea what he had said, and so resigned himself to being led through the ship by the two Knights. They took him to an out of the way conference room down on level six. Seated inside at the table was the masked figure of Kylo Ren. Orantha and Quentin were hovering on either side of him. There was another Knight in there seated at the head of the table, the last one that Hux had yet to meet. He remembered Quentin mentioning the name Ursula and assumed that this had to be her.

As soon as Kylo caught sight of Hux, he began to rise. Quentin pushed him back down with a firm hand. “You’re not going anywhere,” Orantha said.

Ursula spoke in a contralto voice that held a note of authority. “It has come to my attention that you two have been having some relationship problems. The others have brought me in to help.”

Hux looked around at the five Knights in the room, pointedly avoiding looking at Kylo Ren. They had to be joking. Their impassive masked faces told him they weren’t. “No,” he said.

“No?” Ursula echoed back at him.

“No. This is none of your business, any of you. I’m not going to participate in whatever strange idea you’ve cooked up,” he said stubbornly.

“Told you this wasn’t going to work.” Ursula sighed heavily. “Time to go to the alternative plan. Take him away and kill him.”

Hux didn’t miss how Kylo’s head came up sharply at the words, his gloved hands clenching the table tightly. He didn’t say anything. Did the Knight actually still care about what happened to him?

Jeth and Shry grabbed him by the arms and began to drag him out of the room. It appeared they were quite serious and suddenly all those casual warnings they’d given him about breaking Kylo’s heart became much more ominous in hindsight. “Wait,” he said quickly. They stopped. “What precisely do I have to do here?”

“You two are going to sit here and talk things out. I’m going to mediate,” Ursula said.

“And the others?” Hux eyed the company of the room uncomfortably. Not that he was going to be sharing his feeling anyway, but it was going to be an awkward experience if the rest of the Knights were hanging on every word.

“No. They’ll be leaving.” Ursula made a shooing motion with her hands. “I can handle things from here. Off with all of you.” The four filed out, with Shry giving Hux one final pat on the head as he took a seat across from Kylo.

Ursula leaned forward in her seat, her gloved hands lacing together. “So, gentleman, it appears you two as a couple have a problem.”

“We do not,” Kylo said insistently.

“The only problem here is the one he seems to have with me,” Hux snapped back.

Ursula tapped some words down on a datapad. Hux tried to read what she was writing, but he couldn’t read upside down. “Perhaps we should start with defining what you two consider yourselves to be. Are you together?”

“Yes,” Kylo said.

“No,” said Hux simultaneously.

That finally got the pair of them to look at each other. Hux was trying to read what expression might be lurking beneath the black mask. He thought there was a bit of surprise there and there was something in Kylo’s hunched posture that spoke of being hurt.

“Fascinating,” Ursula muttered as she tapped more words down. “Perhaps we should discuss this in further detail.”

“Let’s not and say we did,” Kylo said, crossing his arms and slumping in his chair like a petulant teenager. Hux knew that look well. He’d never found it particularly attractive, and even after they’d gotten together, it had been a source of exasperation whenever Kylo decided to sulk instead of acting like an actual adult.

“And General Hux? How do you feel about this?” Ursula pressed.

“We’re not together. He knows exactly what he did,” Hux said. 

“There seems to have been a breaking point, something that was the initial cause,” Ursula pressed onwards. “Once we address that, we can work on repairing the damage.”

Hux’s eyes turned cold. He was awfully sick of this group of people being so damned concerned about his life and relationship. He’d tried his best to be whatever they needed, and instead, they’d repaid him with interference. “And from what lofty position gives you such clear insight into my mind?”

Ursula drew up to her full height. “I was married once.”

“What happened?” Hux’s tone turned nasty and mocking. “Did he leave you when you became a Knight? Or maybe you found normal human interaction too much to handle and decided to end the relationship yourself. It seems none of you are capable of real human emotions.”

Ursula’s tone turned frosty. “I didn’t leave him, general. He died.”

There was a long moment of awkward silence. That had taken the wind right out of his sails. What, Hux wondered, was he supposed to say to that?

“I didn’t know sticking your entire foot in your mouth was a talent you possessed.” Kylo sounded smug. Hux slid his left foot further under the table and kicked him in the shin as hard as he could. He was rewarded when the Knight started upwards with a jolt. Kylo reached across the table, seemingly intent on grabbing Hux by his coat. There was a scraping sound as their two chairs were pulled apart by a Force push from Ursula. 

She had apparently decided to ignore their physical spat and continue onward. “This isn’t about me, General Hux. This is about solving the problem you two seem to have.”

“It was one mistake!” Kylo said angrily.

“You tried to strangle me! How the kriff was that a mistake?” Hux shot back.

Ursula typed down a few more words. “Now we’re getting somewhere. Kylo, why did you try to strangle him?” Kylo remained in a sullen silence. Ursula kept pressing him. “Come on. You know I’m not going to judge you.”

“ _I_ might,” Hux muttered. He felt an invisible smack on the back of his head. Though he glared at both of the Knights at the table, he couldn’t tell which one had done it.

Kylo looked down at the table instead of either of the two people. “I was angry. I wanted to prove a point.” He looked back up at Hux, his voice sounding like it was close to breaking. “I’m sorry! I was sorry the minute I realized what I’d done.”

“I know you are. But that’s not enough,” Hux said, carefully keeping any emotion from showing on his face.

“What do you want from me?” Kylo demanded. He clutched the sides of his mask with his hands like he was trying to keep himself from shattering into pieces.

Hux’s tone was cold and his eyes were like two chips of ice. “I was never afraid of you. Not until knowing you were that close to killing me. That I meant so little to you that you’d lose control like that just to prove a point.”

“The point was to see if you were afraid of me or not. I got the answer I didn’t want,” Kylo said bitterly. “I thought out of everyone in this miserable galaxy that you’d be the only one to look past what I was capable of and see just me. How wrong I was.”

Those last words of Kylo dug deep claws into the general’s heart. He’d stood all that he could. But no more. Hux got up from the table and headed for the door. He didn’t care if the Knights tortured him for days. There was nothing worse they could do to him that hadn’t already been done in this room. His body froze before he could walk out. Turning his head, he saw Ursula holding a hand up. “Hold on, general. If you want to leave, you can. You just need to answer one question.”

“I’ll do whatever you want to get out of here,” Hux replied.

“Do you love him?” Ursula asked.

That threw Hux’s entire viewpoint off-kilter. “What?”

“It’s a very simple question. Do you love him?” She pressed.

Hux’s mind froze. Should he answer with the truth or a lie? Did he even know the answer to it? He looked back at Kylo and could see his entire figure tense up like he was waiting for a blow to hit him. Hux could only give him one answer, perhaps one of the few honest answers he’d ever been capable of giving to anyone. “Yes. I do.”

“You do?” Whatever tone was in Kylo’s voice was flattened out by the vocoder.  
Hux immediately regretted giving it. This was just another thing for his former lover to use against him. “Yes. Against all my better judgment, I do.” Now it was Hux’s turn to tense up and wait for an answer. He was afraid he had said too much. Was Kylo Ren, an instrument of the Dark Side, even capable of love? He didn’t want to know the answer.

Kylo didn’t say a word. He got up from where he had been sitting and walked around the table with a slow, deliberate stride. When he was close enough to touch Hux, his helmet came off and he let it drop to the floor. He stared into Hux with a fathomless gaze, his face curiously blank. Hux grew anxious waiting for a reply. Anything was better than just keeping him on tenterhooks. Kylo abruptly grabbed the front of his greatcoat and dragged him forward, kissing him with such fervor that Hux could feel it radiating all the way through his body. He pulled away just long enough to catch his breath. “I take it you reciprocate?”

“Of course I do, you idiot,” Kylo replied. He dragged Hux over and pinned him to the tabletop, pulling his outer robe off. Neither of them noticed as Ursula quietly let herself out of the room, now with a spring in her step and a smile underneath her helm.

“So, how’d it go?” Jeth asked with feigned casualness. All four Knights were standing right outside the door, trying with all their might to listen in on the conversation that had been going on within. Ursula held up a finger to shush him and pointed to the closed door. They all listened intently for a moment before hearing the grunts and moans that let them know that their leader and the commander of the Finalizer had indeed made up in a very carnal way.

“I’ll go tell F’nark,” Quentin quickly said. The rest decided scattering was the most prudent course of action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one was a little later than usual! I had it written out, but I kept rewriting it because I couldn't get it just right. The next chapter will hopefully be up a little sooner. As an FYI, this fic will probably conclude in about two more chapters and maybe an epilogue.


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